Chapter 21, Hearts and Minds Summary and Analysis

A Vietnamese scout who works with the US Army requests leave to go to his village to help his wife with their youngest child, a baby overcome with illness. An Army Captain refuses to let the scout go to his village because he has a mission to lead a march with a company of soldiers. The scout repeatedly insists to be allowed to go to his village and the Captain refuses, claiming that only the scout has the knowledge the soldiers need to get their job done. The Captain lectures the scout that he, like all other soldiers, serves in Vietnam to help the scout and all Vietnamese fight the Viet Cong. The Captain insists that the scout should be willing to make as many sacrifices as the American soldiers have to win the war...